


I think I'm falling… I'm falling in love with you

by uni_united



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Fluff, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Meet-Cute, Slow Burn, This was just self-indulgence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:35:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28662564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uni_united/pseuds/uni_united
Summary: "Oh", Max said. Desperate to change the topic, he poked his notebook, "Are you writing something?"."Uhm", Charles suddenly looked away, "Kind of?". He sighed. "I'm trying to write a song, but I'm so bad at rhyming". He opened up the page, revealing a bunch of scribbles and scratched out words.Max couldn't help but laugh. "It looks like chicken scratches".Charles rolled his eyes, "Just read it".____________Or Max finds himself going to Charles' apartment far more often than he thought he would. And did Charles always have such a nice voice?
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. You make me want to change

Max doesn't remember how it happened exactly. 

He was strolling along the streets of Monaco, taking a brisk walk alone. It was rare for him to get noticed, and with his obnoxious cap and thick sunglasses, it was impossible. He never was one for pointless walks, but for some reason, he just wanted to get out of the house. 

He found a cafe near the seaside. It looked like a house in Greece, with white walls and blue accents. It was relatively empty, well everything is quite empty these days with the pandemic. 

The waiters looked quite old, and the tables were aging. It seemed like his kind of place. He decided to sit at the far table and order an iced latte. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw another person, sitting at the table across from him. He had a hoodie on, even though it was quite hot outside, sunglasses, and a ridiculously bright yellow bandana. He looked familiar, but he couldn't place his mind on it.

He must've been staring too much, as the person looked up from his little notebook and waved. Ah. Does he know him? Max waved awkwardly and tried to brush off the encounter by going on his phone. 

Well, it didn't help at all, as the guy took it as an invitation. The bandana guy walked by and took his sunglasses off. Oh. Oh. 

"Leclerc", he says. He found himself fiddling with the straw wrapper. "Fancy meeting you here".

Charles smiled, well at least it looked like it. "Verstappen'', he said cheerfully, "I knew it was you". 

Max frowned at that. How did he know? He basically had his whole face covered. Well, whatever. "What are you doing here?". 

"I live right next door, this is kind of my spot", he says, "May I?". Max glanced at his hands, hands he often sees always wrapped in gloves, reaching for the chair in front of him. Max nods.

Now, Max can't really make out his feelings about Charles. He used to hate him when he first got the Ferrari seat. Everyone and their mothers compared them, how they were the same age and were both contenders for the championship. It was, quite frankly, annoying. And it didn't help that Charles basically was just a robot. He never showed too much emotion, only a charming smile or some half-display of anger or disappointment. He was the perfect character for the sport, he was...well, everything Max wasn't. 

But it's been some time since then. They play quite often together now. Ever since Charles got into E-racing he never seems to leave their group alone. Admittedly, Max has been distancing himself from him. Charles was, well, he didn't really act like the rest of them. He was young, but it was hard to connect to him. Somehow Lando warmed up to him, and so did the rest. But it was a little hard for Max. 

Even though they were sitting together, they didn't talk much. Charles was busy scribbling something on his notebook, listening to something. Max just drank his latte and stared at nothing. And then he decided to stare at him.

Charles looked tired. He always did, but it's weird seeing it up close. His eye bags were prominent, and his skin, though much tanner than his, was strikingly devoid of color. Many people thought he looked handsome, but Max wouldn't say that. Charles looked, he looked like something that can't be reached. Like a ghost. 

"If you stare so hard at me, I'll start to feel self-conscious, you know".

Max looked up quickly. He felt his face redden. "Sorry, I, um…". He looked around, trying to think of something. "Have you been sleeping well recently?".

Charles raised an eyebrow but chuckled. Max was ready to apologize but the Monegasque waved his hand. "No it's okay, it's fine", He put his pen down, "I've been pulling a couple all-nighters".

"Oh", Max said. Desperate to change the topic, he poked his notebook, "Are you writing something?". 

"Uhm", Charles suddenly looked away, "Kind of?". He sighed. "I'm trying to write a song, but I'm so bad at rhyming". He opened up the page, revealing a bunch of scribbles and scratched out words.

Max couldn't help but laugh. "It looks like chicken scratches". 

Charles rolled his eyes, "Just read it". 

To be honest, his handwriting wasn't bad. It was cursive but sloppy, like a doctor, but had many odd gaps between. It looked pretty, but he wasn't about to say that. He grabbed the notebook.

Roads that lead to nowhere,  
Stars that never seem to end   
I find myself in the middle  
Wondering where to go from there 

Wheels turn, but I stay back  
A pair of eyes stare at mine   
You make me want to change   
You make me want to...

Well. Max was never the best at English class. He had no clue what the song was about, but it sounded nice. He smirked a little. It's kind of funny that there's still some car themes in a supposed, love song. 

Max looked up, oh Charles was waiting for his comment. "It's good", he says, "but your words are a little hard to rhyme with". 

"I know, it's so frustrating".

"What's this even for?".

Charles went back to the page and started doodling at the corner. "I don't know, I've been really into the piano lately, and Arthur told me I should add lyrics to them". 

"So you already have a melody?".

"Yeah, oh but I don't have a recording on me or anything". 

Max hummed. He was a little curious. He should've figured Charles was the artistic type, but he never knew he was that into it. "Can you play it for me sometime?", He blurts out.

Charles' eyes go wide. Oh, shit. What did he just say? But instead of an awkward laugh, Charles smiled. "Really? You'd want to?".

Well, it's too late to back out now. "Yeah I uhm, I can help with the song if you want". Fuck. What is he saying anymore? He was terrible at anything to do with music. Let along with writing. There was a reason his favorite class used to be PE.

But as he looked up at his supposed rival, he couldn't help but melt at his expression. He was genuinely happy. Max felt a strong desire. He couldn't place what it was though.

And that's how he found himself now, draped on Charles' sofa as he listens to him playing the piano. Charles was wearing just a shirt and shorts now, the bandana still intact. Max often found himself wanting to brush the hair away from his forehead, it was far too long. 

Charles looked really elegant. He was playing the melody by memory and looked entranced. Max wondered if he looked like that when he's racing. He wouldn't be surprised. 

The melody was really nice. He doesn't know much about music but it sounded like a real song. He didn't expect it to sound like that though. It was quiet and soft, but not cheery sounding. As it went on, it kept getting deeper and thicker. Like the song was getting frustrated at itself. Max remembers what Charles said back in the cafe. Maybe the fact that he wasn't sleeping was related to whatever this song is about. 

Before he realized it, Charles had already stopped playing and was looking back at him expectantly. "What do you think?".

Max thought about it for a while. "I don't like it". 

Charles was surprised, but quickly frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I don't understand it, at the end it just sounded like you were just bashing your hands on the keys".

"It's supposed to sound angry". Max could see that Charles was getting riled up. His brows were furrowed and his voice got a little higher. 

"I thought it was a love song", Max said stupidly.

Charles looked taken aback at that. "How is it about love?"

"Well if you want to change yourself for this person, isn't that love?".

"...".

Charles stood up. "Do you want a drink?", He asks, moving to the kitchen. Guess he doesn't want to talk about it then. Well that makes sense, Max thinks to himself, he's just well, what is he to him?

"Just water", He says. 

"Is this your set up?", Max asks suddenly. He was sick of seeing a frown on Charles' face. It didn't suit him. Charles smiled. Before he knew it, they were talking endlessly about gaming and tech and so on. 

The sun began to set. They were at the dinner table, eating some Chinese takeout. Max was basically stuffing his face with dumplings while Charles went on and on about how Twitch is so difficult to use. At the end of his visit, Charles had mentioned that he'd love it if Max could come by more to help him with his song. It was a good idea to come here, but he doesn't find himself going often, he wants much help after all.

And yet, 

Here he was back at his doorstep.


	2. Be by my side until I feel right

Something inside Max drew him back. Maybe it was the fact Charles looked so helplessly lonely in that apartment. Didn't he have a girlfriend? Or maybe it was the fact that for the first time in a long while, Max felt excited about something other than racing. 

Which is why he had spent all week researching songwriting tips and listening to a ton of classical music. He was prepared this time.

When Charles opened the door, he wasn't wearing his bandana. This time it was just a small black bandeau pushing his hair back, and his thick glasses. Max realized he liked him more with the glasses. Well his appearance, Max quickly corrected himself, not the person himself. 

Charles had cooked some breakfast for the both of them. Pancakes. Max didn't want to tell him but it was a little burnt, but that's okay. He ate every bite.

"I took in what you said last time", Charles said. He was seated in his piano, a mess of sticky notes covering the wall in front of it. "And I decided to change it a bit, more like...well more like what you said". 

Max nods. Instead of sitting on the couch, he's leaning against the wall. 

When Charles started playing it sounded the same. But as time went on it got louder but more… cheerful. He went an octave up (he learned that online), and played more jumpy keys. And by the slight smile on his lips and the way his shoulders are relaxed, Max can tell that Charles is happy. Maybe the song reflects that too.

"I like it", Max says, "It sounds like… a field of flowers? Like a bunny jumping on it". Well, there goes all his time researching fancy words to use.

Charles looks at him funny and breaks out in a huge laugh. Max feels his face reddening but he can't help but laugh with him too. 

"Thanks, Max, I think I know what you mean". 

Max blinks for a second. Charles never used his first name…" Yeah but uhm, don't you think the fast pace will make it hard to make lyrics for?".

Charles nods. "I didn't think about that". He gets the notebook from above the piano. "I've tried making more lyrics, what do you think?"

Roads that lead to nowhere,  
Stars that never seem to end   
I find myself in the middle  
Wondering where to go from there 

Wheels turn, but I stay back  
A pair of eyes stare at mine   
You make me want to change   
You're everything I lack

I like the sunlight on your face   
And the way you like to smile  
Come and lead me to a better place   
Let's see what lies ahead

Be by my side until I feel right   
And even after that too  
…

Max looks up from the notebook. Somehow he felt as if he wasn't supposed to read that. Charles looked at him with that expectant look again. 

"It sounds happy, Charles, I'm happy for you", Max said honestly. 

Charles looked a little lost at that and did a half-smile. "Oh no, I don't have a partner… this is about, well, an unrequited love?". 

"Oh", Max says awkwardly, "But you sound...well it sounds like you really like this person". 

Charles looks away. "I guess so".

They worked on the lyrics together after that. A lot of it was Max searching up synonyms and rhymes on his phone while Charles kept scribbling on his notepads. There were a lot of times where Charles was so absorbed and Max would stare. He never knew he had such a hobby of staring, but it wasn’t every day you’d be able to look so close at your rival’s face. Now he didn’t look like a ghost anymore. His under eyes were fuller, his skin a bit brighter, and his smile made him look much younger. Instead of a ghost, well, he looked more like an angel.

“You’re staring again”, Charles said. Max looks back down to focus on his phone. “You’re just seeing things”, he said back.

"Do you miss racing?", Max says suddenly. 

"I do. But I know we'll go back soon", Charles said quietly. 

Max squints at him. "How are you so sure?".

The brunette shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, maybe I'm a genius?". 

Max rolls his eyes and punches his shoulder. Charles laughs. He likes it here, Max decides. All was going well until, 

The sound of the rain was heavy. They peered out the window to see a huge rainstorm happening. This is rare, there aren't many rainy days here. Max was dumbfounded. Out of all the days this could happen…

Charles looks at him, worried. "Did you not bring a car?".

"I walked". Max sat down on the couch, trying to think of a solution.

Charles sits next to him, a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to stay until the rain clears up?".

"Are you kidding? It looks like it'll rain all night".

"Then you can stay for the night".

Max looks up at that, clearly thinking Charles was kidding. But the serious face he had proved otherwise. Were they that close enough to have sleepovers? And second of all, it doesn't look like he has a spare room…

"Sure", he says dumbly. Both of them were surprised by his answer, but well, what can he do now? Charles smiles, "Great!".

And now… well. As Max stared at Charles' bedroom, his mind came to a conclusion on something he forgot about. Not only did Charles not have a spare room, but he also doesn't have a spare bed. That's just great. 

Charles quickly hopped into the bed, shedding his hoodie to sleep in a white shirt and shorts. "You can have the left side", he says.

Max walks over awkwardly. "Okay…". He looks down at his clothes, well sleeping in sweatpants isn't that bad. He gets into the bed carefully. "I don't sleep that easily, can we watch something?".

They ended up watching a Ghibli movie, Howl's moving castle, after a lot of fighting. Max wanted to watch Fast & Furious and Charles wanted to watch Clueless.

They sat quite far apart. Charles was snacking on some pretzels or something, to much of Max's dismay that the crumbs would get on the bed. He was deeply focused on the movie, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Max didn't really get the movie, he doesn't understand it all really. But the songs were nice and it was peaceful. He looks by at Charles quite a lot, his reactions were nice to look at. 

Suddenly he notices tears in the Monegasque's eyes, glassy and barely noticeable. Max looks at the scene that he's watching, some romantic scene with Sophie and Howl in a field of flowers. 

"Charles"

"What?", He snaps, not looking away from the screen.

"Charles! You're beautiful!", Max says, mimicking Howl's voice. 

Charles looks at him, his face surprisingly flushed and his eyes wide. Max was a little frozen at that. But Charles quickly recovered and punched Max's shoulder. "Shut up!", Charles said laughing "you're such a dick".

"Yet here I am in bed with you", Max quips back. The pink on Charles' face gets deeper. "Oh not in that way I mean-"

"Don't do that", Charles whispers. 

"Do what?". 

"Stop being so…", Charles gets quiet. Max finds himself getting drawn into him. Slowly.

Behind them, the scene plays out. "Well, the nice thing about being old is you've got nothing much to lose".

Max notices that Charles is inching closer as well, his eyes look so… it looks,

"Beautiful", Max says under his breath. 

Charles' eyes open wide. Before Max could realize what he just said, he could already feel the soft touch on his lips. Max closed his eyes and let it happen. Charles pulled back quickly. "I- I don't know what came over me", Charles panicked.

For some reason Max can't explain, he decides to kiss Charles. A peck on his lips. Charles looks at him strangely. Max doesn't back down, he kisses his cheek, then his other one, then his forehead.

"Why are you doing this", Charles whispers. His breath was shaking, but his hands were wrapped around Max's shoulders. 

"I don't know", Max says, pulling away. "You don't like it?".

"I do", Charles says. Max looks at him, Charles was clearly shaken up over something. Max remembers back to what Charles said, about his unrequited love. Oh, how could Max forget about that. He's obviously madly in love with that person, Who's Max to suddenly want to pounce this on him?

Max hesitantly puts his hand on the side of Charles's face. Surprisingly Charles leans into the touch. He was surprisingly warm.

"Let's stop, it's getting late", Max said quietly.

Charles looked oddly hurt at that but decides to let it go. "Okay, goodnight".

"Goodnight".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp that was a quick second chapter! To be honest I already had it prepared... But I'm sure you don't mind. You know I'm a sucker for any fanfic with... and there was only one bed. Agh. Like the intimacy! The domestic vibes! I don't know guys I'm obsessed with it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It's been a while since I wrote a lestappen fic... I haven't been keeping up with 2020's races as much as 2019's (maybe it's my own shame from being a Ferrari fan), so this was a really loosely based fic, with just a bunch of fluff. It's kind of boring, but I hope you like it! Kudos and comments appreciated.


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